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Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Susannah Sandlin - This book became an orphan on September 16th.

Haunted by Joy Preble - This book got orphaned because it was the second book in a series, and I waited with reading it until I got my trotters on book one (yup, I totally bought this out of order). It has been on my shelves since May this year.

Ironskin by Tina Connolly - Has been on my shelves since December 2013 waiting for me to be in the mood for a Jane Eyre retelling.

Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh - Somehow I overlooked this anthology until recently, after adding it to my tbr pile in March 2012

Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh - Only got orphaned at the start of September

I could argue I even read 6 orphans: I also read Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, a book I tried back in 2012 and couldn't get into back then. But because I tried the NetGalley version back then, and only acquired the (print) book I recently read in July, I decided that didn't count as an orphan.

That brings the orphans I read so far this year to a total of 19! That is well over my target of 12.

It seems that Cassandra Clare might be visiting the Netherlands together with Holly Black in November. If that's true, I must try to meet them!

Days, he thought. That was the amount of time he had. Before he ran out of blood, before his mother started to wonder where he was and called the school looking for him. Before she started to remember. He was a vampire now. He was supposed to have eternity. But what he had was days.

(page 93, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 29 September 2014

What is it about:Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same…

What did I think of it:
This is a really intense and cool read.

I won't call it suspenseful, even though there are many nasty things happening, it's never so much a case of 'Who did it?'in my opinion, but more a case of 'How do we survive it?'.

I love how Singh keeps adding to her world in this series. There are so many cool characters and creatures. Some of them get more depth in this book, and with some of them I'm pretty sure it's a subtle set-up for their own book somewhere in the future. I can say I'm looking forward to see if I'm right.

I also loved the dynamics between Elena and Raphael. They are a great match for each other, and it was great to see how they try to support and help each other, both in their own way.

All in all this is a great book, although not one that I would recommend to people just starting on this series, because the things that happen are very much linked into the overall story arc of this series. I can advice anyone who loves Urban Fantasy and angels to pick up the first book in this series asap.

I myself am looking forward to pick up the next book in this series once it releases next month.

Sunday, 28 September 2014

What is it about:Mystical, gentle, magical . . . as if. You’ve obviously never seen a unicorn in his natural habitat—those guys are jerks. Cartoonist C. W. Moss reveals the less-than-wonderful side of the world’s most wondrous creature in his hilarious series of single panel comics, Unicorn Being A Jerk.

What did I think of it:
I bought this book as a present for someone who loves unicorns. I saw a mention of this book somewhere and it sounded like it might be a fun, satirical book like The Book of Bunny Suicides.

I was so wrong!
And I'm glad I decided to let the book be send to me first instead of straight to the person I had intended it for.

This book is in my opinion not fun at all. Instead it crude and offensive.

Yup...
That's unicorn being a jerk by still giving blood even though he has AIDS...

And this isn't even the most offensive and crude joke in this book. There's unicorn abusing his wife, secretly hoping his son isn't gay, and being a pedophile...

I really wonder why the author thinks these things are joke worthy. What is his point? If it's to shine a light on bad behavior, I can tell you it's not the right way to do it. This book didn't make me smile, chuckle, or change my views on the behavior that was mentioned. Instead it left me with a bad taste.

All in all I'm not sure what to do with this book now. I for sure won't ever read it again, but I sure don't want to give it to anyone else either. It will probably end up on my attic where its crude attempt at humor won't offend anyone.

And now I have to find another unicorn gift that will actually be fun.

Friday, 26 September 2014

What is it about:In Angel’s Wolf a vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.

In Angels’ Judgment a hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all...

In Angels' Pawn a vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless...

In Angels’ Dance an angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.

What did I think of it:
Next month the 7th novel in Singh's Guild Hunter series releases, so I thought it was time to catch up on this series.

As book 7 will be about Ashwini, a character that has a short story in this anthology, I picked up this book before picking up book 6.

And this anthology is very enjoyable.

With 3 stories set before the start of the series, this anthology isn't a 'must read' to understand what's happening in the series, but they give some extra insights into some characters and their motivations.

I especially loved Angel's Pawn, the story that features Ashwini. I've loved the mentions of her and Janvier in the series, and this story gives more background on what's happening between these two. I'm really looking forward to reading Archangel's Shadows to get the rest of their story.

The other three stories were also very enjoyable and I can't understand why I didn't pick up this anthology sooner. Singh manages to combine romance, a wonderful setting, and a suspenseful story in ways that had me hooked and made that I couldn't put the book down. After finishing this book I immediately grabbed Archangel's Legion because I wanted more.

This anthology is a must read for fans of this series and you can bet I will be reading Archangel's Shadows as soon as possible!

Thursday, 25 September 2014

After reading a short story in the Zombies vs. Unicorns anthology that was set in the same world as this series, I'm itching to give this series a try.

Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1)
by Diana Peterfreund

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student ... an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

What is it about:The Shadow Club starts simply enough: the kids who are tired of being second-best get together and, for the first time, talk about how they feel. But soon the members decide to play practical jokes on the first-place winners they envy, and things begin to spin dangerously out of control.

What did I think of it:
Although this is a nice read, it was not what I had hoped.

I will confess I'm probably too hard on this book. The other book I read by Shusterman was Downsiders, which was not only a wonderful story, but so well written it was like reading poetry.

The Shadow Club pales in comparison.

Still it is enjoyable enough. It's a bit predictable, and all of the characters are pretty much unlikable, but it does tell a decent story. It's praised by some as being thought provoking, but I can tell you that I didn't find anything new in this story.

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

This is very different from Distant Waves, the other book I read by Weyn, but so far it's really intriguing.

Kayla tore free of Amber's grip. She darted out into the road, zigzagging through the cars. Amber came after, calling. Kayla turned to her-

(page 59, The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 22 September 2014

What is it about:After Jessica's brother is kidnapped and taken to the Underworld, she will stop at nothing to get him back. But before her grueling training is finished, Jessica's power mixes unexpectedly with the circle and she's dropped into the Underworld without protection or her escorts.

What did I think of it:
The good: Demon Piglets!

The bad: The Demon Piglets get eaten!

Seriously:

Carlson delivers yet again. Red Blooded is really cool, and full of action and intrigue.

Jessica is transported to the Underworld where she has to find and save her brother. Not being a big fan of Tyler (I still dislike him) I wasn't too invested in getting him out of there in one piece, but I did root for Jessica to get out alive.

The Underworld Carlson paints in this book is creepy, cool and lends itself perfectly for some cool action scenes. I really liked exploring this realm together with Jessica.

I did want to kick Jessica a few times though. She's very slow to catch on at times. And there were a couple of situations where I think she should have taken action sooner instead of arguing endlessly with people.

But those small grumblings aside I very much enjoyed this book. It has everything that made me fall in love with this series: a cool heroine, lots of action, great supporting characters and a solid story.

Carlson again ended the book with a cliffhanger of course, leaving me hanging until the release of book 5, which I most certainly will get my trotters on as soon as it releases.

Saturday, 20 September 2014

I just had to show you the awesome cover of The Talon of the Hawk.
It's the third book in Jeffe's The Twelve Kingdoms series, and I'm looking forward to getting my trotters on it. If you haven't started on this series yet, but love Fantasy Romance, you really should get your hands on The Mark of the Tala and give this beautiful series a try.

Friday, 19 September 2014

What is it about:Pregnant, possessed, and in love with a man I don't dare to trust—those are the consequences of the risks I took to save my life. But Faerie, the land of blood and magic, is filled with bitter ironies, and the bargains I made now threaten me and my unborn child.

The darkly sensual fae noble Rogue still tempts me to danger and desire. As we await the birth of our child, I've been forced to question whether our offspring is part of a bargain Rogue once made to save himself. He can't tell me the truth due to a spell the vicious Queen Titania has him under. Would he betray our family against his will? Could I ever forgive him if he does?

Rogue insists on an eternal commitment from me, even as Titania's forces close in on us. I don't know if Rogue and I can withstand her onslaught, or that of the beast within me. But I will not stop looking for answers—even if it brings the walls of Faerie crashing down.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I loved the first two books in this series and have been looking forward to reading this book since finishing book 2. Still I almost missed the release, because I was confused about the date. Luckily I caught a post from Jeffe the day before the release, so I could buy and download this pearl on release day. I immediately got to reading it of course.

And this is an awesome conclusion to a beautiful series.

The Covenant of Thorns series is not your normal Fantasy Romance: it's dark, gritty and with dangers lurking everywhere. Even now that Gwynn finally has accepted Rogue as her lover and they are together, Gwynn's problems are far from over. Is Rogue to be trusted? Will he stand by her side in her battle against Titania, or will he betray her, whether he wants to or not?

I have probably said this before, but the world building in this series is amazing! I love how 'other' Jeffe made the fae. They don't think like humans, and have their own twisted logic, making them strange and even creepy.

With Rogue and Gwynn together there were a lot of tender, romantic scenes, and some scorching hot ones as well. I very much enjoyed seeing the two of them getting closer, although they still have their disagreements and fights as well. Their relationship felt real and I loved them as a couple.

The dangers they're facing cast a shadow over their relationship and kept me on the edge of my seat. I wanted them to have a happy ending, but at times it felt like an impossibility. The story is full of darkness and duality. I kept believing in Jeffe's storytelling though, hanging on to every bit of hope, and trusted that she would give me an ending that I could find satisfying.

And Jeffe once more delivered. The ending had me sniffling happy tears I can tell you.

I felt both happy and sad to have come to this beautiful ending of a dark and delicious story. I will most certainly reread this trilogy, and hope Jeffe decides to revisit this world to give me even more to love about it.

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Maybe you can remember how I made the above mock cover for Ann Aguirre's upcoming book The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things. It has graced her website for a long time, and I totally did not occasionally go to the book page to see it there up on Ann's website. (Ok, I totally did, but I think I'm allowed to be a bit proud of that fact.)

Anyway:

I can now show you the final version of the actual cover!
(click the picture for a bigger version)

The Queen of Bright & Shiny Things
by Ann Aguirre

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.
Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.
But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
(April 7, 2015)

preorder:

Isn't it a cool cover?!
You can bet I will be getting my trotters on this book as soon as it releases!

Thanks Ann, for having my cover up on your site, and giving me the opportunity to show the final cover here on my blog!

I loved PODs, a Post Apocalyptic YA by Michelle K. Pickett, so I'm really hoping to get my trotters on this one once it releases.

Milayna (The Milayna Series #1)
by Michelle K. Pickett

From the bestselling author of PODs comes an unforgettable tale of action, intrigue, and following your heart in the midst of betrayal.

It’s hard being good all the time. Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn’t a choice. It’s a job requirement. And it’s a job she can’t quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half angel isn’t all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell’s demon, wants Milayna’s power and he’ll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.

With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting by her side is Chay. He’s a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous, and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love… or her nemesis in disguise?

When she learns of a traitor in her group, there’s no one she can trust… not even the one she loves.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

What did I think of it:
What surprises me is that apparently you do not have to credit the story or author you used when you write a retelling. I noticed this when I read Ten by Gretchen McNeil, a clear retelling of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and noticed it again with this book, which is a retelling of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

That wonderment aside: I really liked this book.

You may know I have a soft spot for retellings, if they manage to bring a cool new twist to the original, and Ironskin certainly succeeds in that.

I was immediately drawn into to the story, both because of the familiarity of the original story and the fey elements Connolly added to the tale. I really liked how Connolly took bits and pieces from the original story,enough for fans of Jane Eyre to recognize them, but wasn't afraid to throw out or change the things she didn't need for her story. It made this book stronger than it would have been if she stuck too close to the original.

I was intrigued by the idea of fey curses being put on people, and ironskin being used to contain these curses. This element plays a large role in the story and I was impressed by how well Connolly had thought her world building through, making it fit seamlessly into the story.

All in all this is one of the better Jane Eyre retellings I've come across, and seeing how it ends I'm glad I've got the sequel Copperhead in my tbr-pile already. I'm interested to see if Connolly used another classic, or if she struck out on her own. From what I've seen of her storytelling skills so far, I'm pretty sure she can easily pull off the latter.

Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Karou caught his wrist with one hand and grabbed a fistful of beard with the other. A crack; a bullet blazed over her head.

(page 145, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 15 September 2014

What is it about:Three sisters. Motherless daughters of the high king. The eldest is the warrior-woman heir; the middle child is shy and full of witchy intuition; and the youngest, Princess Amelia, she is as beautiful as the sun and just as generous.

Ami met her Prince Charming and went away to his castle on the stormy sea-cliffs—and that should have been her happily ever after. Instead, her husband lies dead and a war rages. Her middle sister has been taken into a demon land, turned into a stranger. The priests and her father are revealing secrets and telling lies. And a power is rising in Ami, too, a power she hardly recognizes, to wield her beauty as a weapon, and her charm as a tool to deceive…

Amelia has never had to be anything but good and sweet and kind and lovely. But the chess game for the Twelve Kingdoms has swept her up in it, and she must make a gambit of her own. Can the prettiest princess become a pawn—or a queen?

What did I think of it:
You might know by now that Voodoo Bride and I are big fans of Jeffe's work, so it won't come as a surprise we were very happy to get an ARC of The Tears of the Rose.

Book one in this series was about Andi, the middle sister of three. The Tears of the Rose is about Amelia, the youngest.

Now I will confess Amelia didn't really make a good impression on me in the first book. Not that she was unlikable, but she came across as a bit shallow and spoiled. Amelia being the heroine of this book I expected these flaws to be downplayed.

And that's where Jeffe proves to be an amazing writer. Instead of downplaying Amelia's flaws, they're right there for everyone to see. Amelia is spoiled, shallow and selfish at the start of this story. She might have some cause, seeing she just lost her husband, but still she's acting like a toddler who doesn't get her way at times.

Still... The way she is written made me see the good and kind person Amelia could be, if only the people around her had given her the chance to become that person. It's easy to dislike Amelia because of her spoiled attitude, but looking at how she grew up, how life has treated her, I could really understand why she became as she is. It made me root for her to open her eyes and see the world for what it really is. To change for the better.

And then a mysterious figure steps forwards who makes Ami question her world views.

The White Monk drew my attention from the first moment he is mentioned by the way Jeffe describes him. Her descriptions are always beautiful and vivid, but some of the descriptions of the White Monk felt like poetry.

My favorite line in the whole book is probably this:"He laughed, raven voiced, threading his hands inside his sleeves as if he restrained himself from something." *
This is so beautiful and tells so much in just a few words. I could not just picture, but also hear and feel this scene.

I could go on for ages raving about how beautiful this book is written, but I know you want to know about the story.

It is a beautiful story!

Ami has a lot to learn, a lot to overcome on her path to find herself. Jeffe doesn't make it easy. Ami's road to happiness, to a life where she's more than the spoiled, pretty princess is long and filled with pain and heartache. I had trouble putting the book down, and kept rooting for Ami to reach her goals.

The ending...

Agh!

The ending gives closure on some things, but also gives a new challenge that has to be faced, making sure I will be counting the months until the release of book three. I need to find out what happens next to Ami and her sisters!

All in all this is a wonderful Fantasy Romance filled with emotion and suspense. I felt like rereading it the moment I finished it, and you can bet I will put this ARC on my keeper shelves, just as I've already preordered the book to put next to my treasured copy of The Mark of the Tala (book one).

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful Fantasy Romance

*quote is from the ARC, so might be different in the final version of the book, although I hope it will not be changed.

Friday, 12 September 2014

What is it about:Anne Michaelson "is trying to forget everything that happened last year. But it's hard to do when her heart aches for Ethan and there's a wild-haired woman stalking her...

Ethan Kosinsky is embracing his newfound mortality. But something is drawing him back to the girl he left behind--back to Anne and back to the magic...

A mysterious stranger is hunting Anne wherever she goes. No one sees her but Anne. When she searches for the woman's identity, Anne exposes secrets about her own life-- things that will change her life forever. And when the gorgeous Ethan returns, her life gets a lot more complicated.

Anne thought her journey with the Romanov family had ended, but it was just the beginning...

What did I think of it:
I really liked the first book in this trilogy, but must say I was a bit reluctant to read the second book, because I feared it would ruin the ending of book one.

Luckily that wasn't the case.

This book did of course introduce a second love interest for Anne, to be able to create a sort of love triangle...

Overall this book didn't draw me in as much as the first book. It felt messier. Anne is flopping around, not knowing what to do for a large part of the book. When she does what she has to do, it feels more like luck, than that she actually figures out what's going on.

Still this book was pleasant enough to keep me reading. There also weren't any difficult fonts used, like in the first book, making it easier to read. There are some interesting developments and discoveries in this book, that make me curious what will happen in the next book. Having come this far, I think I'll see if I can get my trotters on the last book to find out how this trilogy will end.

Thursday, 11 September 2014

I very much enjoyed the first book in this series, so I'm very curious about this book.

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2)
by Robin LaFevers

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for . . .

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

What did I think of it:
What is it that makes that when a bad guy does something it's evil and wrong, and when the good guy does the exact same thing it's OK?

That's the question that stayed with me after finishing this book.

It's something that I've encountered before in my reading (Allegiant anyone?) and that annoys me.

It also took away from my reading enjoyment in this book. Overall this is a really cool story, and I was enjoying it, up until Kaylee decides on her 'Holier Than Thou' solution, in which she gets to do the things the bad guys do, without it being the horror it is when the bad guys do it.

I grumbled, I growled...

I finally decided to try to ignore it, and see it as the double standard that is used for good guys and bad guys. I decided to pretend Kaylee doesn't notice she's acting in the same manner as the bad guys.

Then I reached the ending, and Kaylee started angsting over a morally questionable action made by someone else. Really?! Now she did see how wrong it was, but not when she was doing it herself?! ARGH!

So... I think I will stay away from the next book in this series until I've calmed down a bit.

Why should you read it:
Mostly it's a fun and original Paranormal YA read.

About Me

I'm part of a large family of pigs.
We all live with my owner in Groningen, the Netherlands.
I travel a lot with my owner and I post stories and pictures of my life and travels on my blog. I also have a blog where I post book reviews.